Yet another round of consultation is in the works for Coquitlam’s next arts, culture and heritage strategic plan.
The visioning document that will chart the city’s arts course over the next 15 years was presented as a draft to council-in-committee last Monday; the city’s arts and culture advisory committee also got a look last Thursday.
As well, the city’s multicultural and economic development advisory committees will discuss it over the next four weeks and meetings will also be set up with Coquitlam’s cultural service delivery partners.
The proposed framework, which has been in development for more than two years, is now being reviewed by arts stakeholders, said Michelle Hunt, director of planning and business services. And the general public will be able to have its say via an online survey late next month or early May, she said.
“This study is a very important document of work,” Raul Allueva, Coquitlam’s general manager of parks, recreation and culture services, told the committee March 7, noting city staff have worked with Toronto-based consultants Millier Dickinson Blais for the past year to make the $100,000 plan a reality.
In it, five key goals are listed in the fields of: city leadership, community capacity, community heritage, economic benefits and cultural facilities. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges are also laid out such as:
• the availability to non-profit groups to be funded via Spirit Grants (casino income);
• the number of programs and services at the two library branches;
• the lack of marketing and promotion for existing programs and activities;
• the fragmented cultural sector across the Tri-Cities;
• the need for the city to play a bigger leadership role;
• the wish to have art shows in non-conventional spaces;
• the potential loss of artifacts and archives because of lack of storage facilities;
• and the low priority by residents compared with capital investment for sports and recreation.
While Coun. Dennis Marsden suggested to staff to include the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce in its future arts talks, Coun. Craig Hodge — another past Chamber board chairman — called on staff to “drill down deeper” with specific arts groups.
Hodge said answers need to be sought on such topics as the future of the museum, the expansion of Place des Arts and the Evergreen Cultural Centre (which will soon be close to the Evergreen Line terminus) and Booth Farm, one of the first homes built in Coquitlam of which the city purchased a few years back.
“At the end of the day, it’s going to come to space and money and time,” Hodge said. “I think what [the document] does say is we have got more to do.”
The final version of the draft strategic plan is expected to come before Coquitlam city council by July.
Meanwhile, Port Coquitlam’s updated arts and cultural strategy, called Imagine Port Coquitlam, has yet to come before city council. When complete, it will replace the 2001 arts plan.
In its 2016 budget, which has yet to be adopted, city council has earmarked funds for a new cultural development and community services manager.
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